Surgeons at Westside Regional Medical Center (WRMC) recently broke new ground performing a daVinci-assisted laparoscopic Mitral Valve Repair. “Adding the da Vinci® [Surgical System] to our vast range of advanced surgical capabilities dramatically expands our ability to perform minimally invasive techniques,” said Dr. Harold Roberts, cardiovascular surgeon (pictured). “It allows us to perform major cardiac procedures endoscopically through tiny ports of access, providing our patients with a less traumatic, less painful and more cosmetically pleasing alternative to open surgery.”

The benefits to the patient undergoing a mitral valve repair are numerous and include significantly less blood loss and smaller incisions that result in faster recovery time and a lower chance of infection or other complications. The procedures themselves can be even more accurate than traditional surgery, with steadier “hands” at the surgical site being directed by a surgeon.